'Come Back Here And Say It': Dwight Howard Responds To Heckler After Loss To Lakers
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Hawks center Dwight Howard never expects a warm welcome when he returns to Los Angeles to face the Lakers.
Howard -- who spent one disappointing season with the Lakers in 2012-13 -- has repeatedly been showered with boos when he returns to Staples Center. So it went Sunday night as the Lakers cruised to a 109-94 victory over Howard's Hawks.
But when a heckler called him "a b----" after the game, Howard apparently snapped.
Howard walked over to the stands and dared the heckler to "come back here and say it." He was restrained and eventually continued walking towards the locker room.
Howard's persona non grata status at Staples Center is well documented.
He joined a highly anticipated, star-studded Lakers lineup in 2012 that included Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. The team failed to deliver on the hype and was bounced from the first round of the playoffs as Howard clashed with Bryant.
Howard departed the following season for Houston, turning down the Lakers' five-year, $118 million offer.